Joseph l



(No Model.)

J. L. GHERO'I' 85 J. N. OLOUSE. LETTER BOX.

No. 494.976. Patented Apr. 4, 1893.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH L. OHEROT AND JOSEPH N. OLOUSE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNORS OF. ONE-FOURTH TO WM. V. ANDERSON, OF SAME PLACE.

LETTER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 494,976, dated April 4, 1893.

Application filed March 31, 1892. Serial NOAZZSOS. (N0 model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J OSEPH L. OHERoT and JOSEPH N. OLOUsE, citizens of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Street Mail-Boxes, small boxes for general use and large ones for accumulation-boxes, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to an improved street mail box for general city use, small ones for the general street corner boxes, and large ones for the accumulation boxes.

The objects of our improvements are to provide a box that is simple and durable and practically rain and dust proof in its construction. A box also having a pocket through which to deposit mail into it, an upper opening secured by hinges and a padlock through which to deposit large quantities of mail into the box, and adrop bottom provided with hinges and a pad look, through which the contents of the box can be quickly emptied out. The whole box in its construction being practically burglar proof, except by violence. WVe attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the exterior of the box complete. Fig. 2, isa perspective View of the exterior upper and lower portions of the box showing the pocket or port open, the hinged upper section open and the drop bottom open, and the shell or body of the box removed to shorten the view. Fig. 3, is a perspective view showing the oscillating cover to the pocket or port with the pocket or port inside of it. Fig. 4, is a perspective View of the oscillating cover separate from the other parts. Fig. 5, is a perspective View of the pocket or port separate from the other parts. Fig. 6, is a perspective broken sectional view enlarged so as to show the inter- Y nal construction of one corner of the box with 1. This shell or body of the box we design to construct of sheet metal, or to cast in parts and to join the parts together at the corners in a strong and suitable manner by bolts or rivets. To the upper end of this shellor body of the box A, A, and A, A, is secured by means of bolts or rivets a cap frame composed of sides B, B,and ends B,B,and is provided with lugs b, b for hinges and a staple to be used in connection with a hasp and pad look as shown. This cap frame we design to vary in form and size to make it suitable for casting. To the top edge of this cap frame B, B is hinged a housing having ends 0, O, and a curved top and back O, O, which is also provided with lugs 11, b, for hinges, and a hasp to be used in connection with a staple and pad lock to secure the cap frame and the housing together, when it is adapted to the use of an accumulation box but when used for the regular street box this cap frame and housing will be made solid or secured permanently together.

A more detailed description of the housing is necessary to show its special construction and relation to the working parts inside of it. The top and sides of the housing have a roundel circular form the top and back being of a larger circle and higher and covered over solid while the front is of a less circle and open having an offset above from the one circle to the other both sections of circles being struck from a common center on the ends 0, O, the same center forming the axis of the internal oscillating parts and the center of curvature of the internal fixed parts, as shown and hereinafter described. The ends O, O, of the housing are further provided with circular projecting portions 0, 0, built out soas to allow the projecting ends of the oscillating front cover F, to turn inside of the housing, the front cover F, being provided with V shaped grooves 71,71, on its under sides which fit the front edges of the ends 0, O, which are shaped the same from the offset above down to the break in the curve below formed by the cross rail 0, in the front of the housing at its base, as shown in Fig. 2.

On the inside of the housing are arranged, an oscillating cover Fig. 4 which is pivoted to the housing and inside of the oscillating cover is a pocket or port Fig. 5, which is socured by means of rivets screws or bolts to the cross rail 0, of the housing through its projecting flange K, thus holding the pocket or port in an extended position in the center of the housing. This pocket or port consists of thin fiat sides I, I, and thin flat ends J, J, having center holes common to the center holes of the oscillating cover and the ends of the housing, and having its top and bottom edges cut to a circle from its centers so that the oscillating cover will revolve closely over ering them, as further shown.

The oscillating cover Fig. 4, is constructedwith curved back and front covers permanently joined to irregularly shaped ends or heads. The back cover G, is made light and thin and short enough to oscillate freely inside of the housing ends 0, C. The front cover F, is made wide and thick and longer than the housing so that it projects over its ends 0, O, and fits onto their edges with V- shaped grooves h, h, on its under side. This front cover F, is provided with an outward projecting flange f, across its top edge which forms a stop against a shallow rib on the under side of the top of the housing 0'. It is also provided with a lifting lug f on itslower front edge. The irregular shaped ends or heads H, H, are cut on a circle struck from the-center of each head, which center forms the pivot on which the whole cover oscillates. These heads H, H, are the connecting parts for the back cover G, and the front cover F, and are made solid thereto. That portion of the heads back of the center is made light and thin, while that portion in front of the center is made thick and heavy and swelled.

out as shown in Fig. 4, so as to get a preponderance of weight on the front side to always make it self closing after it has been opened to deposit mail. When the housing is in position on the box and the pocket or bottom of the pocket or port, mail may then be deposited in the pocket then as the front closes the back or bottom of the pocket opens and the mail deposited in the pocket drops down into the body of the box. Then for a carrier to deposit large quantities of mail he takes off the pad lock and opens the box between the housing and the cap frame as provided for.

Next, in order to facilitate-the work of emptying the boxes of the mail deposited in them we find it necessary to provide an adjustable drop bottom which is arranged and operated as follows, and shown in the lower section of Fig. 2, and Figs. 6 and 7. This adjustable drop bottom which is shown separate in Fig.

7. consists of a fiat plate D, which is fitted loosely' to the inside of the bottom of the shell or body of the box and provided with an enlarged portion D on one side at the back edge which is rounded over the edge and terminates at each end in an oblong rounded projecting portion e, which forms the pin of thehinge upon which the bottom hangs. It is also grooved on its top and bottom sides and a notch cut in the plate D, to relieve it so that it will pass into the other partof the hinge. From this bottom plate D, at each end rise up flat irregular guard plates d, d, which form the sides of a chute when the bottom is down as shown in Fig. 2, lower section. The front edge of the bottom plate D, is provided with a hasp which works in connection with a staple and pad lock to secure it when closed as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. '6 is a broken sectional view of the inside of one of the lower back corners of the shell or body of the box, in which is shown a portion A, of the back of the shell of the box and a portion A of the end of the shell of the box, to which is secured or made solid with the raised irregular shaped socket:- portion of the hinge E. Its socket or'cavity hasa peculiar rounded oblong angular shape which is provided with grooves on its bottom side around the angle and its top side back. The back portion of this cavity receives the oblong portion e, of the bottom plate D, where it lies loosely and is free to slide forward (when so desired) and turn down into the front portion when the bottom D, is dropped as shown in the lower section of Fig. 2. The grooves in the top and bottom of the cavity are designed to engage into the grooves on the top and bottom sides of the oblong portion 2 of the bottom plate D, and retain it dropped to any angle desired. When it is closed the bottom sets up into the shell alittle againsta stop rib on the front inside. a is a thin strip of metal or other suitable material which is secured at an angle to the back of the shell over the hinges to protect the opening back of the bottom when it is-drawn forward to dump it.

The joining and securing of the various parts of the box together will be done insnch a way that the mail can not be taken out of it Without removing the locks or breaking some portion of the box by violence. Also all joints and openings will be so protected as to exclude rain and dust from the interior with an open ended port or pocket fixed on the interior of said housing and extending backward and downward from its opening around which port or pocket, and inside of said housing is pivoted an oscillating cover the front of which is heavy and covers at the same time the front opening of the port and the opening in the front of said housing and alternately covers the back opening of the port when it is lifted to uncover the front of the port to deposit mail therein, substantially as described and specified.

2. In a street mail box, the combination of an ordinary box or shell, with a drop bottom having a flat plate with end guard plates extending up so as to form a chute when it is open, its back edge being thickened up so as to form a hinge with oblong projecting pivots on its ends which are grooved above and below, which pivots work in connection with the two socket portions of the hinge which are secured to the inside of the shell at the bottom back, which sockets are extended forward and then downward at an angle and are provided with grooves also, so that by dropping the front edge of the bottom a little it may be drawn forward and dropped little or much as desired, the grooves engaging with each other as described and set forth.

3. In a port or pocket through which to de 30 posit mail in a street mail box, the combination of a housing forming the top of the box and hinged or pivoted thereto with a fixed port or pocket secured therein the back and front openings of which are opened and closed alternately by an oscillating cover pivoted between the said housing and port, the front cover being made heavy so that it closes the outside by gravity when opened, substantially as specified.

at. In a street mail box the combination of a box or shell with a pivoted drop bottom secured by means of a hasp staple and padlock, a cap frame secured to a housing by means of hinges or pivots and a hasp staple and pad lock, said housing having secured in itaport or pocket and pivoted in it an oscillating cover for the back and front of the port the front cover projecting over the ends of the housing as described and set forth.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH L. CHEROT. JOSEPH N. CLOUSE.

Witnesses:

PAUL F. Cosrn, GUsTAv F. DECKER. 

